Thigh gaps are so last year. It’s time to say hello to the Internet’s latest female body obsession: thigh brows.
The new “trend” sounds like some sort of unusual grooming procedure, but Elle.com defines it as, “a set of folds that frames the tops of thighs and separates leg from butt.” Simply put, it’s the crease the flesh of your thighs make where your hips and legs meet when you sit, kneel or bend down.
Khloe Kardashian and Kendall Jenner
Some are hailing thigh brows as a body-positive trend, while others see exploitation of the female body. Kent State University’s Director of Women’s Studies, Dr. Suzanne L. Holt, recognizes the mine field that is public conversation about women’s bodies and their sexuality.
“The topic on the table grants us all permission to look even more closely, more menacingly at women’s bodies,” Holt said. “I suppose one could argue, we can look admiringly, too; and that’s certainly possible, except those are hardly the real terms and conditions of our media usage and consumer culture.”
Thigh brows are certainly more achievable than a gap between your thighs, but the issue with creating a trend out of the female body is that sometimes, it just isn’t attainable for everyone. Fashion trends are one thing, because if you want a new purse or dress, it is within reach given that you have the means to purchase it. The female body is not a product, and yet trends are “manufactured” from it.
DJ, model & entrepreneur, Hannah Bronfman
“The thigh brow trend is deceptively inane,” Holt said. “It, like other body part-specific zoom lens approaches, ‘handles’ and ‘prices’ the female body piece by piece. It effectively transforms a person into a means of gratification for onlookers, gawkers, customers.”
To be fair, the thigh brow trend seems to come hand in hand with the fashion comeback of “frongs.” Frongs or “front thongs” are the high cut of a leotard or bikini bottom. Think Jane Fonda’s Abs, Buns & Thighs sans leg warmers or the Baywatch babes in their classic red swimsuits. The return of the frong may be proof that fashion is forever, but just like #thighgap, we can’t be sure that the same can be said for #thighbrows.